Advice for breeding project?

[Arconna]

Alright, well I'm going to try to say this the best way that I can. I've already got a small group of SHCT's that I will be breeding next summer and will likely try to breed a pair of Tremper Albs (chocolates if I can help it cause I just think they look lovely).

So, I'd like some advice from you all out there that are breeding or want to breed, or have bred, on what morphs you think I should get for a third small breeding group. I've looked about and there's a lot I'd be interested in, but I'm sort of looking to get into something that might not be super common yet. I don't mean RAPTOR's, since that is well outside of my current price range (but possibly in the future), but just something that might be slightly common, but not so common that everyone has one.

So any ideas or recommendations?

 

[Grinning Geckos]

That's a tough one....pretty much any project that is affordable for your average joe is already quite common....that's why you can get into it at a low cost.

PS: Chocolate Trempers are little more than a cooled Tremper.

 

[Arconna]

Oh I know, I just happen to like their coloration. Temperature can give you all sorts of different levels of brightness in albino's after the 2 week sexing period correct?

Well, I can't afford like RAPTOR's, since those, on average, are something like 300-500 a piece, but that's just immediately. In the future I could afford something at a more investment level.

How common are the different types of stripes? (bold, red, reverse, etc.)
What about Mack Snows/Super Snows? I dunno, maybe something with multiple morphs in one?
Any suggestions, regardless of how much it would cost would be great.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

I wouldn't recommend using the Tremper color incubation method. I've heard of people having a lot of problems with it. But yes, with Trempers the cooler ones turn out darker. This also can happen after they hatch. I've seen Trempers incubated for female hatch out somewhat brown turn bright white in a few weeks by having their home warm enough. On the other hand, I've seen white Trempers turn brown from their enviroment cooling down too much.

Stripes are oldies but goodies. I don't think I know anyone that doesn't love a good stripe. In comparison to something like hypo tangs, I'd have to say stripes are a bit more unusual....but far from uncommon. Reverse stripes are, by far, the hardest to come by. You don't see them all that often.

There are sooooooo many possible projects for someone to get into, it would be silly to try to list them all. The best thing to do is find your own personal favorite morph and get into it. That way, you always love what you're working with.

 

[Arconna]

I really like those bold stripes, they always grab me when I see them on Marcia's website. I've thought of getting a small group of those. Are there bold reverse stripes? And what about breeding in other traits into bold stripes? Such as CT or baldy or something like that?

 

[acpart]

Just a thought --are you sure that you want to start your breeding experience with that many females? I am anticipating 35-40 babies from 3 females this summer, with 20 of them from just one of the females. Just make sure you have the space for all those babies and a means to move them on to new homes unless you're planning to keep them all. I was anticipating breeding 5-7 females next summer and now I'm seriously reconsidering as i add up the possible results.

Aliza

 

[Arconna]

That's exactly why I didn't start breeding any of my leo's this summer. I'm building up space as we speak. My friend is building me a new rack, and I have a small rack made from a shoe rack thing inside a closet as of right now.

Plus, I won't breed any of them if I can't afford to accomadate the hatchlings. When I got my first male, I had the intention of breeding, but didn't have the money for an incubator at the time. So I wno't be doing ANYTHING unless I have the space, money, or the time to handle it. I'm graduating in Spring so time shouldn't be an issue. And I'm getting plenty of things building up for a rack and what not. I have one incubator now (because the 2 SHCT girls were possibly gravid when I got them...but they aren't sadly ) and I'll get either a bigger inc or a couple more hova's in the future. I may not even breed all of the females for the first year, might just do a couple girls. Just wanting to get 3 little groups ready for next summer in case.
I appreciate the concern though . After summer I'll be transferring to UC Santa Cruz and basically living off a student loan and scholarship/free money, so this will easily use up a lot of my spare time .

Thanks guys for the advice and concern

 

[acpart]

That sounds great with a lot of thinking ahead. I'm going to be thinking this winter too about what I can accomodate.

Aliza

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

It's great that you are planning! The best advise I can give anyone starting out on a breeding project is to work with the morphs you love! There are so many wonderful morphs and diverse combination hets available now that it can be confusing, but if you stick to what you enjoy the most at first you will learn so much and have a great time doing it!

 

[Arconna]

Where do you think I got the idea for those bold stripes Marcia . Somehow I think I'll be getting more than just that choc. tremper from you lol .

But yes, I am simply planning ahead on purpose. I thought of breeding this summer but decided I'd hold off. Need to build up everything first so I can handle all the hatclings and such.

 

[leopardgecko95]

http://jmgreptile.com/that website has every morph you will ever need except for a couple but they are all mostly there

 

[Arconna]

Thanks leo! They have some red stripes there as of right now and I"m looking forward to their lavendar stripe line, which looks really cool!

 

[LeosForLess]

If i were you i wuold go to a convention and buy them from different people. Buying a group from sombody meants 1, they cna be very closely related, and 2, if your planning like yo uyou would have to plan mroe outcrosses in the future.

 

[Arconna]

If i were you i wuold go to a convention and buy them from different people. Buying a group from sombody meants 1, they cna be very closely related, and 2, if your planning like yo uyou would have to plan mroe outcrosses in the future.

Right, that is my intention. I actually had to make sure before I got some of Marcia's females that they weren't related to the male I got from her a while back. I won't be breeding him to any of her leo's since he is related, distantly, but still related. But I intend to get females from Marcia and I'll look about at the convention in Sept. and see what I can find around. I'm aware of the whole inbreeding thing, so I won't pair up GGG leo's with other GGG leo's (unless they are from unrelated breeding groups).

Thanks again (I need to make a checklist lol)

 

[LeosForLess]

I just mean if you get like, 3 siblings of SHTCTB then after one breeding season they would have to be outcrossed. If theyre distantly related, and from marcia(because she does a lot of outcrossing) you shouldnt have a problem

 

[Arconna]

Right, but if, for example, I get two females from Marcia and a male from someone else that is not related (well at least not related in any real way...since rarer morphs have less of a distance between them obviously), I would have no problems with breeding them, since there is no relation, and as far as I know two females would not pull a frog on me and change sexes...

But I do see what you're saying. I'm intentionally avoiding buying male/female siblings from anyone just so I don't have to worry about outcrossing. Then again, I might have completely confusled myself on what you said here...so...lol

But thanks for the input